The Argosy — page 346: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

332 A Secret of the Sea. Eleanor rose. There was a heightened colour in her cheeks, an added brightness in her eyes. ‘Lady Dudgeon, should Captain Dayrell come here this morning on such an errand as the one you have mentioned, you can give him his congé as soon as you please. And I beg that you will not send for me, as I shall certainly decline to see him.” “Tut tut, child! you don’t know what you are talking about. A little maidenly shyness is all very nice and proper, especially when the Offer is a first one. But prudery may be carried too far; and, in the case of Captain Dayrell, a pretended rejection might perhaps fnghten him away altogether.” “A pretended rejection, Lady Dudgeon! I fail to understand you.” “‘It was very foolish on my part,” said her ladyship, complacently, without noticing the interruption, ‘“‘to mention the subject to you at all. Ihave only succeeded in startling you. I ought to have left Captain Dayrell to plead his own cause with you. Gentlemen, on such occasions, are generally very eloquent after they have made the first plunge.” ‘‘T am sorry that you should so persistently misunderstand me,” said Eleanor, not without a touch of impatience. ‘‘ You compel me to speak plainly, and in a way that is most repugnant to my feelings. Under no circumstances could I agree to become the wife of Captain Dayrell. And I trust there will be no necessity for his name ever to be mentioned between us again.” Lady Dudgeon turned slowly round on her chair, and surveyed Eleanor through her eye-glass as though she could hardly believe the evidence of her ears. ‘“ You cannot marry Captain Dayrell, Eleanor Lloyd?” she said, with some severity of tone. ‘‘May I ask what there is to prevent your marrying him? I hope there is no prior engagement in the case, of winch I have been kept in ignorance.” ‘* Were I engaged to anyone, your ladyship would certainly not be kept in ignorance of the fact.” “Instead of-engagement, I ought, perhaps, to have used the word ‘attachment.’ ” ‘* Applied to me, one word would be just as incorrect as the other.” “Then may I ask what particular objection you can have to receive the addresses of Captain Dayrell ?” “‘ My particular objection is that I could never care sufficiently for Captain Dayrell to become his wife.” ° “T certainly gave you credit for more common sense, Eleanor, than to think that you would allow any foolish sentiment to stand in the way of your proper settlement in life. My theory is this—and I daresay, when you shall have lived as long in the world as I have, you will . agree that it is by no means a bad theory—that any girl who has been correctly brought up, and whose affections have not been tampered COLMA a) NOOKS (CO)